Register for telephone-calls.



E. T. HULL.

REGISTER FOR TELEPHONE CALLS.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 12, 1916.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

Inventor:

Edward JZ'JYMZZ.

EDWARD TAYLOR HULL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REGISTER FOR TELEPHONE-CALLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 34), 191?.

Application filed April 12, 1916. Serial No. 90,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. HULL, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registers for Telephone-Calls, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a register for telephone calls which may be applied to a house or other telephone by the user and which will perform its function entirely independent of the central station or of the wiring connections of the telephone system.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the invention with the ordinary telephone receiver on the ordinary hook or support. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the receiver is removed from the ordinary hook or support. Fig. 3 is a sideview of a wall telephone box showing the manner of and position in which my improvement is applied. Fig. 1 is a view of a desk telephone stand showing my apparatus applied thereto.

In these drawings, 1 indicates the ordinary receiver of a telephone system and 2 the ordinary hook which supports said receiver and 3, in Fig. 3, indicates the ordinary wan telephone box. Alongside the ordinary wall telephone boX, when the invention is applied to this form of telephone, I apply a box, indicated generally at 1 in Fig. 3, and at in the diagram Figs. 1 and 2, which box contains my im 'irovement. This box contains a lever 5 pivoted at 6 and extending outside of the boX to be borne upon by the ordinary hook 2 of the telephone which supports the receiver. The lever 5 is under tension of a spring 6, tending to keep it elevated, but

I this spring is of such strength that the lever will assume its lowermost position under the weight of the hook 2 and receiver 1 when the said receiver is on the ordinary hook. The lever 5 controls an electric contact or switch member 7, which is pivoted at 8 and has an arm 9 to contact with the pivoted end of the lever 5 when the said lever is raised, as shown in Fig. 2. This electric switch or contact is in circuit with a signal bell 10 by way of line 11 and in this circuit also is included the battery 12 and a spring contact 13,

which is adapted to be engaged by the lever 5 when the same is down, as shown in Fig. 1, and this circuit is completed through the lever 5, its pivoted end 6 and the arm 9 when the said lever is down and when the switch member 7 has been swung on its pivot to bring the arm 9 thereot into contact with the pivoted end of the lever 5. The position of the parts shown in Fig. 1, is that when the apparatus is at rest or not in use, the telephone receiver being on the hook 2 and this being down and the arm also being down, the circuit being broken at (3-9. Now when the telephone receiver is removed from the hook to put in a call or to receive a call, the hook 2, of course, rises, as in ordinary practice, and the spring G exerting its torce lifts the lever 5 and this has the effect of breaking contact between the contact member 13 and the lever 5 and also the switch lever 7 is swung into the position shown in Fig. 2, closing contact at 69, this swinging ot the switch lever being due to the arm 1d of the lever 5 operating upon the arm 9 of the switch lever 7 Now when the call has been effected and the conversation terminated, the receiver 1, in accordance with ordinary practice, will be placed again on the hook 2 and said hook will fall. This will carry down with it the lever 5 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position shown in said figure, and as the switch lever now remains in contact with the end 6 ot the lever 5, the circuit will be closed when the lever 5 strikes the contact 13 and the signal, bell will be rung and this will remind the user of the necessity tlior registering the call. This registration of the call in a measure is accomplished. automatically, that is to say, it is e'lt'ected by the user in the act of stopping the ringing of the signal bell. For this purpose a push button 15, under tension of spring 16, is arranged in sliding relation to the box or support, and the operator by pushing this button will operate an arm or lever 17 against the switch lever 7 and move it into the position shown in Fig. 1, thus breaking the circuit at 69 and thus stopping the ringing of the signal bell. This same act, however, of operating the lever 17 to stop the ringing of the signal bell, will operate the registering mechanism, which is shown generally at A. This registering mechanism or counting mechanism may be of any suitable kind well known in the register art, and this register will preferably make the action of its spring 16-, as soon as the pressure of the operators finger is released, and the lever 17; will also return to the position shown in Fig. 1.

I provide a .second button 15*, under tension of a spring 16*, the stem of which will operate the switch lever 7 directly instead of through the interposition of? the register actuating lever 17 and by this means the ringing of the signal bell may be stopped when the user hangs up the receiver and when it is not desired to secure a registration of this use of the telephone. This but ton 15 would be used when a call comes into the user from another. station, whereas the button 15 would be operated when its station makes the call. In this way only the calls put in by the station having the apparatus will be registered or counted. Any desired form of signal, other than a bell, may be employed and the form of the apparatus may be varied and still come within the scope of my invention.

It will be observed, from Fig. 3, that no alteration in the ordinary telephone apparatus is necessary, because my improvement is self-contained and operates entirely independent of the central station and entirely independent of the usual wiring connections and without alteration of the ordinary telephone apparatus, it beingnecessary only to adjust my self-contained apparatus in proper position so that the ordinary receiver hook will act upon the main actuating mem berof my improvement, namely the lever 5.

' As indicated in Fig. a, my self-contained apparatus may be used in connection with a desk telephone, the box 1* containing my improvement being. mounted on the ordinary standard of the desk telephone and the lever 5 being thereby brought into proper relation to the ordinary receiver hook or support 2.

My invention presents the following advantages: It is used independently of the telephone company. It does not use the companys current. It does not require the cooperation of centraPin its use, and it does not in any way affect the operation of the instrument with which it is associated.

It does'not register a call until said call.

contact at 69, but will open the circuit at I 13. Now as the contacts at 69. remain closed, the signal will be given, when the receiver is placed on the hook again and the lever 5 is thereby pressed down onto the contact 13, and this condition will exist until the subscriber by manually operating either one of the push buttons, shifts the switch lever 7 and opens contact at. 6 -9,

lVhile I have shown the lever 5 as forming a part of the electric circuit, it is obvious that it need not be so used, in which case the lever would simply control contacts in a circuit of which it forms no part as an. electric conductor. Furthermore, the contact member 7, as well as that at 13, may be oil diiferent forms from those shown.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a subscriberstelephone set, a signal, a callcounter,'means by which said signal is given upon hangingup I the receiver, and means for stopping said signal and for thereby operating the counter, substantially as described.

2. In combination with av subscriberstelephone set, a signal, a call counter, meansby which said signal is given upon hanging-up the receiver after the call has been effected, means for stopping. the call and by the same act operating the counter, and means for stopping the signal without operating the counter, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a subscribers telephone set, a signal, a member operated to one position by the act of hangingup the receiver, said member, assuminganother po-v sition when the receiver is removed, electric circuit connections which include the signal for operating it, said circuit connections having contactsto open and close the circuit at two difierent points, said contacts being controlled by the movement of the member,

closing one when the receiver is removed and; closing the other when the receiver is hung. up and manually operated means for break; ing the circuit at one of the contacts and; a counter or register operated by the same manual operation which breaks the signal circuit, substantially as described; i

1. In combination with a subscribers telephone set, a signal, a membermoved toone position by the receiver hook when the receiver is hung thereon and. assuming another position when the receiver is removed from. its hook, a local electric circuit connection independent of the telephone circuit having contacts to open and. close the local circuit at two diiierent points, said contacts being controlled by the movement of the member, closing one when the receiver is removed and closing the other when the receiver is hung up to thereby operate the signal and manually operating means for breaking the circuit at the contact first mentioned, and a counter or register operated by the same manual operation which breaks the signal circuit, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a subscribers telephone set, a signal, a member moved to one position by the receiver hook when the receiver is hung thereon and assuming another position when the receiver is removed from its hook, at local electric circuit connection independent of the telephone circuit having contacts to open and close the local circuit at two difiierent points, said contacts being controlled by the movement of the member, closing one when the receiver is removed and closing the other when the receiver is hung up to thereby operate the signal and manually operating means for breaking the circuit at the contact first mentioned, and a counter or register operated by the same Gopies of this patent &

manual operation which breaks the signal circuit, and manually operated means for breaking said circuit at said first mentioned contact without operating the counter, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a subscribers set, including a receiver hook, a pivoted lever to be depressed by said hook when the receiver is thereon, a signal member, local electric circuit connections which include said signal, a switch member which is operated by the rise of said lever to close the circuit connections at one point when the receiver is removed from its hook and the said lever thereby rises, a second circuit closing member to close the circuit connections when the receiver is placed on the hook to thereby, in connection with the first circuit closer, give the signal, manually operated means for operating the first circuit closer to open said circuit and a counter operated by said manually operated means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDVARD TAYLOR HULL.

may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

